Rosemary Apricot Turkey

Rosemary Apricot Turkey ~ A delicious and aromatic turkey with butter-crisped skin flavored with decadent apricot nectar and rosemary.

Thanksgiving, my favorite food holiday. Not just because it’s socially acceptable for food to take center stage, but because food brings families and friends together like nothing else can.  

Thanksgiving conjures other things too: football, Black Friday shopping, time with family, or just a day off from work. But the one thing it does bring to mind for everyone is FOOD!

I have many memories that are wrapped up in family recipes because food was the center of our holiday celebrations. And Thanksgiving is the opening buzzer for the holiday gantlet that runs into the New Year.  (Unless of course you count the candy kick-off known as Halloween.)

Thanksgiving is the Super Bowl of food holidays.

And for anyone who has the pleasure (or misfortune) of spending it with me, I always deliver intoxicating aromas luring my guests to the kitchen begging for an early nibble. Sometimes I allow a snack, other times…DENIED!

This Rosemary Apricot Turkey is no exception. Aromatically enticing.

This post is sponsored by Camp Chef.  As part of my on-going relationship with them, I received a Turkey Cannon Infusion Roaster to review, however all thoughts and opinions, glowing, gushing, or otherwise are 100% my own.

Rosemary Apricot Turkey

Camp Chef’s Turkey Cannon infuses the bird with apricot nectar, onions, and fresh rosemary while roasting it both inside and out, yielding the moistest bird ever.  

I started with a hot oven and skin so buttered up any 1980’s sunbathing teen would be impressed. Lathering the skin with butter and popping it into a hot oven allowed Herm to crisp right up.

Oh did I forget to mention this year’s bird was named Herm?

After the first 30 minutes, I lowered the temp down and allowed the 14 pounder to roast just like a beer can chicken. 

What is Beer Can Chicken?

Beer can chicken is a whole chicken that is resting on an opened full can of beer and cooked on a grill or in an oven.  

Perching the bird on a container of liquid introduces moisture and heat which prevents it from drying out and cooks faster.

This method has grown in popularity because of its simplicity and almost full proof way of producing a moist and thoroughly and quickly cooked bird. Ginger ale and cola are also popular canned beverages used in this method of cooking. 

A problem facing Thanksgiving cooks everywhere is the amount of time it takes to sufficiently cook a large turkey all while needing your oven to create all those scrumptious side dishes simultaneously.  

The Turkey Cannon helps to minimize that problem because it reduces the total cook time preventing the ultimate Thanksgiving nightmare…a dried-out bird.

The cannon of the Turkey Cannon is filled with liquid, in this case the apricot nectar, which keeps the meat from drying out and infusing it with flavor. I added rosemary and onion as a complementary savory profile to the sweetness of the apricot.

This Rosemary Apricot Turkey will produce a picturesque centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner table, but good luck with keeping all the fingers off of it while you get your perfect Instagram shot.

Easy Holiday Side Dishes

• Sage Apple Cranberry Dressing
• Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Green Bean Casserole
• Cranberry Sauce
• Bacon Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes
• Maple Thyme Roasted Carrots
• Sautéed Spinach
• Slow Cooker Creamy Mac and Cheese
• Bacon Bleu Cranberry Brussel Sprouts
• Tangy Sweet Green Beans

Easy Holiday Appetizers

• Cranberry Salsa Dip
• Cracker Chicken Bites
• Pumpkin Hummus
• Baked Breaded Mushrooms
• Red Pepper Cheddar Green Olive Dip
• Sausage Wild Rice Stuffed Mushrooms
• Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Dip
• Garlic-Herb Mini-Toast Bites

Thank you for sharing!